Memorial Day
by MsKeller
Summary: AU.  Memorial Day is a day to remember the dead, to visit their graves and remember.  For Sasuke it's a bittersweet day of mourning.  For Naruto it's a day of honor and rejoicing.


Something I found while cleaning up some files. According to the file I wrote this on May 27th. If I remember correctly I was trying to make a holiday fic but decided to do a holiday that doesn't get as much press. I'm weird like that.

This is more a drabble then anything but it brings a smile to my face when I read it so I'm sharing it with everyone. Enjoy!

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With a deliberateness that echoed of many similar walks, Sasuke Uchiha moved through his family's mausoleum, dusting off the nameplates and lighting candles. Only on two days every year does he do this. Only two days a year does he allow the raw emotions running through him out enough to cry at the gravesite of the only family he has. His dead family. His eyes burned just like they always did when he walked among the sealed caskets. In the far back corner he came to a grave, tucked neatly away in a place that could not be readily seen. Closing his eyes, Sasuke sighed as the tears fell from his eyes to leave streaks down his cheeks. 

_Here lies Itachi Uchiha.  
Beloved Son and Brother  
Plagued By Madness_

This was the only grave in the entire mausoleum that had more then the names and dates engraved on it. The extra lines had been added years after Itachi's death when Sasuke had accepted the hand fate had dealt him at a young age and did not want the further generations judging Itachi unfairly. Sasuke had done that for his entire life and it was the hate that was bred from those judgments that had nearly cost him his own life. It was only after Sasuke's 21st birthday when he gained access to the family records that he had opened his eyes to what really had been and how blinded he was.

Grabbing a broom that was kept in the nook next to the only door, Sasuke swept out the dust and debris that had collected on the floor since the last time he had been here. Methodically he swept the floor and pushed the physical proof of time passing in the mausoleum out the open door. Once he was done crying he put the broom back and went through the room, lighting the remaining candles one by one until a soft glow encompassed the windowless rooms. Shadows were thrown over the freestanding coffins of his great-great grandparents and the coffins built right into the walls.

Sasuke knelt down in front of the wall hanging that made up the family shrine. A large red and white fan was embroidered into the fabric while tendrils of flames licked their ways up the side of the fabric. Beneath the picture written in the language of his ancestors were the words _"Forever Fanning the Flames."_ It was a cryptic family motto that Sasuke had never really understood. After saying his prayers he got up and blew out the candles. Little embers of fire flew from the burning wicks as his breath forced the flames to extinguish.

With one finally look around the room he picked up the cap he had left on the sole bench in the entire mausoleum. Sasuke walked out to see the sun setting. His family's mausoleum was situated on a hill with a beautiful view of the valley below. Once this had all been his family's land but Sasuke's father had donated the land to turn it into a city cemetery when war had forced many of the city's population to find eternal resting places. It had been nearly ten years after the beginning and end of that war that his father had found eternal rest here as well. In fact the remainder of Sasuke's family had all been interred here that same day. The victims and the one who murdered them all forever under the roof of the mausoleum.

The wind blew softly, ruffling Sasuke ebony colored hair and he put his cap back on before closing and locking the door to the mausoleum. As he walked down the road to the entrance of the cemetery, Sasuke noted that very few people were still left standing among the headstones but the evidence of the holiday was everywhere. Fresh flowers were at every grave, many with national flags waving among the roses, lilacs, and daisies. At a distance to his left, Sasuke could see a silver haired man standing over a very simple headstone. The man had a surgical mask on so he was either sick or trying to combat allergies but by the way the mask was moving Sasuke had the distinct feeling that the man was talking to his dead relative or friend.

Another gust of wind blew hard across the graveyard. It was strong enough to cause Sasuke's cap to go flying off his head and send it cascading down the hill to his right. Chasing the ball cap down, Sasuke ran right past the old maple tree that blocked off the lower part of the hill from the upper. As soon as he caught the wayward cap he found his eyes drawn to something bright amongst the granite stones and green grass. At first Sasuke sneered at the sight of the other man, who appeared to be around his own 26 years. In all the years Sasuke had walked through this cemetery he had never seen anyone brash enough to wear bright orange.

Though, Sasuke was willing to admit the bright yellow hair seemed more out of place. He wouldn't even call this other man a blond for his hair was beyond that, it was simply yellow. Quietly, Sasuke continued down the hill, skirting the area where the orange clad man was. As he watched out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw the other man pulling frantically at something. Worried that he might be trying to deface or damage a headstone, Sasuke turned and headed toward the man. But as he neared Sasuke felt a little bit of shame rush through him. The man was pulling painfully hard at grass that had grown up around the flat headstone. Sasuke could tell that the man was crying and he suddenly felt like he was intruding.

Backing away quietly, Sasuke watched as the man suddenly sat down cross-legged on the ground in front of the headstone. The man let out a pained sigh before his head suddenly swiveled around to look at Sasuke. Like the rest of him, the man's eyes were bright, bright blue, and even though his lashes were wet with tears he smiled brightly at the retreating figure. Sasuke coughed slightly and eyed the other man with as plain an expression as he could muster.

"Hey! Sorry, I must have looked like a madman, but I get really steamed when people mess with my parents graves."

Sasuke blinked at the yellow haired man. Strangely, his voice even sounded bright, not to mention loud. Sasuke was sure the other man way up on the hill had heard him. And then what the man said registered and a series of emotions passed through him. Among them were anger, annoyance, and sadness. Stepping closer to the grave he noticed that there was in fact some graffiti on the grave and he couldn't help but wince.

"Sorry about that. I thought I had cleaned them all off, but I must have missed this one." Sasuke said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"You make it sound like it's your job or something." The man tilted his head to the side slightly, as if he was inspecting Sasuke, his smile still lighting up his face.

"You could say it is. I live down there and I try to keep up maintenance." Sasuke said pointing to the house near the entrance to the graveyard.

The man looked down towards the small house at the edge of the cemetery and blinked in surprise. "So you're the caretaker? You seem kinda young, I thought only creepy old guys took jobs like that." Sasuke snorted at the man.

"Technically there is no caretaker, the city just sends someone to inspect the place every month or so, and pay for groundskeepers to come up here and mow. I just try to get around and make sure the teenagers haven't done any serious harm. These are peoples' family after all." Sasuke explained with a shrug only to have the man snort at him.

"That's a lot considering these people aren't your family. So thank you. I know a lot of people appreciate it even if they don't know you're the one taking care of the place." The man's blue eyes turned back to the gravestone he sat in front of. Suddenly his head shot up and he turned to Sasuke. "Oh, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way!"

Hesitantly, Sasuke shook Naruto's grimy hand. "Sasuke Uchiha."

"Oh, and this is my mom and dad, Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze." Naruto said as he gestured to the head stone. Sasuke looked at the simple granite slab and wondered if he should say something, but then something carved into the stone caught his attention.

"They died on the same day?" The moment after the words left his mouth, Sasuke remember his manners and could have kicked himself at his rudeness. But then again, Naruto didn't seem at all perturbed.

"Yeah, you remember learning about the last bomb that went off around here right before the war ended?" Naruto asked.

"You mean the one called 'Kyuubi'?"

"Yeah, nine bombs that went off simultaneously throughout the city. Well both my parents died that day. I guess a lot of people in the cemetery have the same date carved on their headstones. I know I will."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked a little alarmed by Naruto's conviction.

"It's my birthday." Naruto said simply, a look of confusion crossing his face at Sasuke's startled tone.

Sasuke blinked suddenly at that, a little shocked that the man in front of him had been born the very same day his parents had died. His dark colored eyes watched as Naruto's fingers traced the same date under his parent's name.

_Oct. 10_

"I'm sorry." Sasuke spoke softly into the silence. He couldn't imagine never knowing his parents. He at least had some happy memories to remember them by. Even some happy memories of his brother, memories he didn't quite resent so much anymore.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't suck, but I'll never doubt that they didn't love me, they died protecting me as the hospital collapsed around us." Naruto shrugged before standing up and wiping off his hands on his – thankfully – blue jeans.

"But it's a horrible way to have proof, though." Sasuke murmured, well aware of what it was like to find that your parents had died trying to protect you.

"What about you?" Sasuke looked over at Naruto, his dark eyes making contact with bright blue ones and for the first time in a long time the voice in his mind was telling him to trust this person.

"My entire family died on the same day. My parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and my grandparents, thirteen people in all." Sasuke said calmly even though his lungs suddenly felt like they were on fire. He took several calming breaths before focusing on Naruto's shocked expression. "And before you ask, no it wasn't an accident. My mentally unstable brother killed them before dying of a wound my father inflicted on him."

"Wow." Naruto whispered. Sasuke wasn't sure if he was meant to hear that but he decided to simply ignore it. "Well you know what this means?"

The sudden cheerful voice threw Sasuke for a second and he looked curiously at Naruto. "What? That we both have really screwed up histories?"

"Well yeah, but it means we should go and get a drink! Today's Memorial Day, we remember the dead today, but more importantly we remember to live!"

Slowly a smile came to Sasuke's face. He had never heard a better description of the day before. And before he knew it Naruto had draped an orange clad arm around his shoulders and started walking the two of them towards the main gates, all the while chattering about something Sasuke thought was asinine – ninjas.

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Strange Author fact: The graveyard in this story is based on a real one, it is right behind the house I grew up in. Imagine a house next to Sasuke's in the story and that's where I lived. 


End file.
